TIRANA (Albania) – Vincenzo Nibali is truly a natural fit as an ambassador. He moves with the confidence of a leader, never a word too much, and with his usual acumen in assessing situations. The third Giro is about to start without him and you will never hear him say that he carried any regrets with him. Unlike those who quit because of nervous limitations, the Sicilian chose the date and he stopped after having really given everythingWe meet him at the stage headquarters as the protagonists are about to arrive for the customary press conference. He's finishing telling Marca's correspondent the importance cycling has had in his life. He says that if he hadn't made it big in cycling, he would have pursued a career as a physiotherapist.And then he proudly claims his role in furthering research on training and preparation. The space cycling of this era began in his, and somehow it's nice to keep that in mind.
The reflection we propose to him starts from the absence of Pogacar and from the fact that when he is not there, the other riders know they can win and go to the start with much more bellicose ideasIf Slovenia had been at the table of contenders today, we would have witnessed a parade of tributes and distinctions. Instead, without making any grand proclamations, For half an hour we had the feeling of having a platoon of challengers in front of us with a concrete chance of victory..
When “Taddeo” is not there, can we even think about winning?
“Taddeo” is the cannibal of the moment, that's fantastic. He wins and wins, there's nothing to say. When he attacks from that far away, it leaves you speechless.I, too, in my own way, was a pioneer in this sense. I may not have started 100 meters from the finish line, but I've always had the idea of attacking from afar. When Tadej is not there, everyone is more tense and tries to understand what they can doIf Pogacar blocks a bad day, then maybe something can change. Assuming that when he has a bad day, he finishes second or third.
So what kind of Giro will this be without Pogacar?
Very open, very, very complicated. There are some stages that can be pitfallsThe Giro is never easy, I also spoke with some sports directors. With Bramati, with Tosatto which has some very interesting riders. When it comes to the Giro it's never easy, and the last week is really hard.
This is the third Giro without you. Is there anything left of the rider in you or have you closed the door well?
I have no regrets, I really don't. I have had very few in my life, because what I have done I have always done with great desire and willpower.Now I experience cycling from a different perspective than that of an athlete. I experience it from the outside, but I'm always very close to the boys and sometimes I even cycle with them, how can you see also from social mediaThe other day I was with Bettiol, it happens that I go out with Ulissi, with Pippo Ganna and others like Honoré. It's nice. exchange opinions with those who are still inside.
In a hypothetical duel between Roglic and Ayuso, would the fact that one has already won the Giro be a point in his favor?
The experience he has Roglic It's a lot and can help him a lot, but he's an athlete who plays a lot of defense. Ayuso, on the other hand, is the exact opposite and therefore We could end up with one attacker and one defender and this could make the match interesting.. But I'm sure that five or six more will emerge along the way.
For example?
I wouldn't underestimate Del Toro and neither does Yates. Tiberi he prepared this Giro in detail and carried out site inspections of the stages already at the beginning of the year. ciccone he arrives with a great leg and we have to understand if his orientation will be for the classification or for the stages, where in my opinion you can get a lot of things off your chest.
Tiberi has often been compared to you, how do you evaluate his career path?
I left him when he was a kid, when we were on Trek. Since then he has grown a lot and has decisively taken the path of stage racesI was able to do one-day races too, but things are moving in the right direction.
Are you saying that everything is really at stake in the final stages in the Aosta Valley?
I would also be very careful about the stages here in Albania, which are very dangerous. The Vlora stage (the third, on Sunday, ed.) is difficult. While the first one, tomorrow's one, being the first, is not at all simpleIf you're not ready and haven't gotten into the mood for the Giro d'Italia, it's easy to lose a few seconds already on the first ramps. It's something we've seen time and time again, the first climbs have always done a bit of damage.
You mentioned an open Giro and Red Bull assigns 6-second time bonuses to each stage: could they become decisive?
I hope not! I even did an interview saying that many times the riders have flattened the race, I hope it doesn't happen again. However, I don't think these bonuses will affect the rankings. Maybe at the beginning, but then not anymore. It would have been It would have been worse if there had been significant bonus points at the finish for the first threeI remember when Joaquim Rodriguez lost the 2012 Giro precisely because of a time bonus game.
We're experiencing an exceptional moment in cycling, with significant performances and gains…
Cycling has reached a very high level and it is right and proper. It's not a second-class or third-class sport, it's a first-class sportWe've earned all this over time, thanks to the people who cheered us on and the riders who brought so much fresh air to this world that had remained tied to tradition. Today we certainly find ourselves with a fantastic sport that deserves all the attentionAnd I like to think I played a part in its development. And maybe I can still do something about it.
